DENVER — The Denver District Attorney's Office says it has not charged a 71-year-old man in connection to damage to a pickleball court in Denver, and is urging the man and city to solve the issue out of court.
Arslan Guney faced felony criminal mischief after city officials said he used a Sharpie to re-draw faded lines for a pickleball court in Denver’s Central Park Recreation Center in mid-March. An arrest warrant claimed $10,000 in damages at the expense of taxpayers.
In a statement, Denver Parks and Recreation said: "It is our duty and responsibility to the citizens of Denver to protect city assets and public property. Defacing or damaging public property is unacceptable, a criminal offense and will not be tolerated in any of our public buildings or spaces."
Guney, whose friends say is nicknamed the "Mayor of Pickleball," wrote a letter to the Denver department to apologize, according to his friend Jan Devor. The game — a mix of tennis, racquetball and ping-pong — is one Guney has played for years, according to close friends.
"The whole pickleball community is really saddened and shocked," Devor told Denver7 on March 23.
On Tuesday, the Denver District Attorney's Office said the office has not and was not planning on charging Guney.
"At my suggestion, the parties will attempt to resolve this matter through mediation with a city mediator," Denver DA Beth McCann said. "I am optimistic that by sitting down and working out a mutually-agreeable solution, this matter can be solved amicably.”